


it goes (and it's golden)

by starrynightzayn



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Friendship, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Humor, M/M, Meet-Cute, MusicProducer!Zayn, Mutual Pining, Party, Romance, alternating pov, artist!Liam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:40:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27109642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrynightzayn/pseuds/starrynightzayn
Summary: “And now onto the best couple’s costume!” Once again, Louis unwrapped a small piece of paper, but this time he stared down with a confused look on his face.“Uh, the winners are Liam and Zayn?” he said.Some people in the crowd started cheering and clapping their hands. Ruth just let out a laugh and tried to cover it while Liam and Zayn turned to each other.“Ummm.”“We’re not a couple.” Zayn said.“Yeah, uh, we literally met tonight.” Liam added.orLiam and Zayn show up at Louis’ Halloween party wearing matching costumes and people think they’re a couple.
Relationships: Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Comments: 42
Kudos: 81
Collections: Ziam Halloween Challenge





	it goes (and it's golden)

**Author's Note:**

> before i begin i want to give a huge shout-out to my friend ellie for being my #1 supporter. thank you for listening to all my voice messages and rants and beta reading this and offering so much help along the way. i love you so much dear!!!!!!
> 
> also thank you to let for constantly hyping me up i really appreciated it babe <3
> 
> thank you for taking the time to read this and i hope you enjoy :) for context it takes place in the US!

* * *

Liam

“Are you ready yet? We should’ve left half an hour ago.”

“I'm coming Roo, would you relax?”

Liam rushed out of his bedroom, stumbling to get his left sock on. He adjusted his belt and turned to the mirror.

“My god, isn’t this fantastic?” Liam asked.

“Yeah, yeah, can we go now?”

“Just need my hat.”

Ruth rolled her eyes and picked up her keys. Moments later, Liam returned with a cowboy hat, grinning.

“It’s good, right?”

“You look great Liam. Why don’t we leave so you can show off to some other people?”

Ruth turned to the front door and Liam right followed her. They eventually shuffled into the elevator and rested against the railing as it closed.

Ruth smiled. “You really went all out this year didn’t you?” Liam grinned down at his Woody costume.

“I had to Roo. Remember that guy who won best costume last year? He had a real lightsaber _and_ a voice changer. _That’s_ commitment, and I want to win this year.”

“Whatever you say,” she sighed.

“I still can’t believe I never figured out who it was— he just had to wear that stupid Darth Vader mask all night.”

Ruth shook her head as they walked outside to wait for their Uber.

“He should be here soon.” Ruth checked the app and looked around for a Black Honda Accord.

“Ok, I’ll text Louis we’re on our way.”

10 minutes later they arrived. Liam got out of the car and walked up the steps with Ruth by his side. Immediately they were met by cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. There were fake skeletons propped up on tables and fog machines set up around the room. Cutouts of bats hung from the walls and candlesticks sat on just about every table, emitting a soft light. Liam was shocked; Louis always decorated but never this elaborately. It was usually year old streamers and a few pumpkins; this was something else.

“Looks like you’re not the only one who went all out this year,” Ruth said. She shoved him playfully and they grinned at each other before continuing inside.

“Let's say hi to Lou,” she said, voice raised over the blaring music. Liam nodded and followed her to the kitchen where Louis often was during parties. They found him handing someone a drink and laughing. He looked up and waved them over.

“Finally!” he said, throwing his hands up.

“Not my fault someone took forever,” Ruth replied, rolling her eyes.

“Hey!”

“Aw Liam, you look good,” Louis said. Liam grinned and playfully hit him on the chest. It was then that he noticed the guy who’d been talking with Louis. He had black tousled hair and warm brown eyes. His lips were soft and he had a little bit of stubble that Liam liked. He noticed the multitude of silver rings on his hands, which then led to him looking at his tattoo covered arms. He found himself staring and tore his eyes away, turning to his black skinny jeans and patterned shirt and wondering what his costume was supposed to be.

“And who’s this?” he asked.

“Oh! This is Zayn, he's been working with me on my latest song. And he helped decorate the place today!” Zayn blushed and looked away.

“Yeah I’m a big fan of Halloween,” he said. His voice was smooth and he had a thick accent.

“You did an amazing job mate! Who are you supposed to be?”

“Ah I just got back from work, time for me to go change. Nice cowboy costume, by the way!”

“Oh, I’m not just a cowboy—” he began, but Zayn was already out of the room.

Louis giggled. “You’re Woody, right?”

“Yeah mate! Can’t believe he didn’t realize.” Louis patted him on the shoulder.

“Here, have a drink.” he said, handing them each a coke. “Don’t forget to vote for your favorite costumes! And no Liam, you can’t vote for yourself.”

“That was _one_ time Lou!”

“I'm gonna talk to some of the other guests, let me know if you need anything!” Louis disappeared into the dining room, leaving Liam and Ruth alone in the kitchen.

“I’ll be in the other room too. We’ll talk later?”

“Yeah, sounds good,” he replied.

“Ok, see ya!” she said, running off.

Liam grabbed some crisps and went into the living room. He recognized a few people from uni, but no one he’d been close to. They seemed engrossed in a conversation; he debated walking over to talk to them but eventually decided to try and find Louis. As he turned to go back he found himself inches away from someone in shiny white trousers and a lime green top.

“Sorry—”

“Oh my god, you’re Buzz Lightyear! That’s amazing, I'm Woody!” Liam exclaimed, looking up to see Zayn.

“Oh hey Leeyum. My bad about before! I can’t believe I didn’t notice your vest, it's just like the one from the movie!”

“No problem mate! Love the costume. Can’t believe I'm matching with someone that’s ace.”  
Zayn chuckled a bit. Liam noticed how his hand gravitated towards his belly, as if he had to stop himself from laughing too much. He liked him already.

“I was just gonna get another soda if you wanted to grab one too?”

“Yeah sure,” Zayn said, smiling gratefully. He followed Liam back to the kitchen.

* * *

Zayn

Loud music and raised voices filled Zayn’s ears. He trailed after Liam feeling like his heart would beat out of his chest. He generally wasn’t much for parties. Most of his Saturdays were spent watching movies at home or getting dinner with a friend. Yet here he was, walking with a stranger to grab a drink like it was the most normal thing ever. He was cute, at least.

“Sprite or coke?”

“Uh, coke is fine, thanks.” Zayn couldn’t help but notice Liam’s smile. It filled his entire face and there were crinkles by his eyes. He reminded him of sunshine.

They moved to a nearby sofa and sat down.

“So you like Toy Story, huh?” Liam asked.

“Oh yeah, it was one of my favorite movies growing up.”

“Me too! I always loved Woody. I mean clearly.”

“Yeah, he’s great. He and Buzz are great characters.”

“For sure. How funny is it that we both decided to go as them this year!” Zayn smiled. He liked how enthusiastic Liam was about everything. He was just so...happy. He'd never met someone like that before.

“Lou said you work in music, right?”

“Yeah, writing and producing.”

“That’s great! What do you write about?”

“Oh you know…” he trailed off. Zayn wasn’t used to talking about his projects, much less with someone he’d met less than an hour ago. But with the way Liam was looking at him, he somehow wanted to.

“I guess life... and love. The obstacles you face, expectations from others, learning to fight through it, acceptance of yourself, relationships, um...” Zayn quickly stopped, wondering if he’d said too much.

“Wow, I love that. Louis is lucky to have you.”

Zayn blushed. He usually looked away when people complimented him, but he didn’t want to take his eyes off Liam.

“And you, uh, what do you do?”

“Oh, I’m an artist! Drawing and painting mostly - I’m working on an exhibition at the moment.”  
“Impressive! How’d you get into art?”

“Oh well I kinda found myself doodling in class a lot. I started doing it more in my own time and realized I really liked it! I changed majors halfway through uni and now it’s what I do! I’m really lucky that my parents supported me.”

Zayn nodded, smiling. He liked knowing Liam had people cheering him on.

“That’s great, I'm so happy to hear it.” Liam blushed, his smile growing wider. Zayn hadn’t thought that was possible.

“I could show you some. If you’d like, of course…”

“Yeah, I’d love that.”

Liam pulled out his phone and opened up an album. He was so confident and sincere about his work; Zayn really admired that.

“You can just scroll through,” Liam said, handing his phone to Zayn.

Zayn looked down at the screen and his eyes lit up. There were detailed paintings of scenery and architecture. He liked the colours Liam chose, all of the work felt warm. There were a few self portraits - one titled sleepy that was adorable - as well as sketches of other people. A drawing of a man hunched over particularly caught his eye. He loved how soft the lines were and how strong yet delicate the guy looked. He was in a clearly vulnerable position that made Zayn want to know more.

“What inspired this one?” he asked, turning the phone to Liam.

“Oh that! I really like mythology, so I tried to portray Atlas holding up the sky.”

“Nice, I can see that.” He continued scrolling, feeling a little like he was invading.

“These are really great Liam. I love how smooth everything is. Your art style is fantastic, realistic while still feeling personal.”

“Wow thanks Zayn. I really appreciate that.”

Zayn handed back the phone and accidentally brushed against Liam’s hand, willing himself not to blush. Liam stared back and smiled, almost giggling under his breath. They sat there for a minute, not speaking, until their comfortable silence was broken by the doorbell.

“Pizza’s here!” someone shouted.

People started making their way into the kitchen, but Zayn and Liam stayed put, still staring and smiling at one another.

“Ok everyone, pizza’s on the table, let me know if you need anything!” called Louis.

“We should probably get something to eat.” Zayn said after a pause.

Liam shifted his attention to the food. “Oh yeah.” His mind was anywhere but what was for dinner.

* * *

Liam

Liam stood slightly behind Zayn, plate in hand. He was in a sort of daze, reeling from the conversation they’d had. He was feeling so sure of his art; he really appreciated how affirming and specific Zayn’s compliments were. They made him feel seen.

The line moved quickly and soon enough they were back at the sofa with their plates full.

“So what do you like to do besides music?”

“Well I design clothes with a friend of mine - I do the concept sketches and we design the patterns together.”

“Wicked!”

“It’s a really fun process. After I flesh out what I want the pieces to look like, we choose the fabrics together and he takes over from there with the dressmaking.”

“Wow I love that.” Liam said.

“Thanks! Maybe you could model some of our clothes one day.” Zayn said with a wink.

Liam blushed and tried to hold back a smile threatening to cover his face.

“And what about you? Other than art how do you spend your time?”

“Well I like to run. I’ve been getting pretty into reading recently which has been nice! I’m hoping to join some sort of book club nearby.”

“That’s so fun! I’ve never been into running myself. But reading’s great, I should get back into it.”

“For sure! If you ever want book recs, you know where to find me!” Immediately Liam cringed. _For fuck’s sake, you only met a few hours ago._

Luckily, Zayn just laughed. “Actually I don’t, but if you’d like to exchange numbers we could?”

Liam nodded, trying to hide his excitement. Zayn pulled out his phone from his back pocket and Liam typed his number in.

“Cool. Thanks.” Liam was beaming. Zayn made him feel so warm; he couldn’t stop smiling. He didn’t even realize when Louis walked in.

“Hey, I’m about to reveal who won best costumes so make your way into the dining room!”

Louis wandered over to Zayn and Liam in the corner.

“Are you guys ready?”

“Yeah, we’ll be out in a sec.” Liam replied.

“Stan counted the votes this time, so it’ll be a surprise for me too!” Louis said before disappearing into the living room.

“I’ll be interested to see who wins.” Zayn said.

“Mmhm,” Liam replied as they made their way to the living room. He hadn’t mentioned to Zayn how badly he wanted to win, and he definitely wasn’t about to now.

“Is everyone here? Are we ready?”

A few people cheered and raised their cups.

“Ok, so I’ll start with the best individual costume.” Liam stared as Louis unfolded the piece of paper.

“And the winner is…...Nick Grimshaw!”

“Ah, fucker!” Liam said under his breath. He looked down at his shoes. Luckily, the sounds of people celebrating drowned him out. Ruth came over and gave him a pat on the back.

“Next year!” she whispered. He nodded and gave her a small smile.

“And now onto the best couple’s costume!” Once again, Louis unwrapped a small piece of paper, but this time he stared down with a confused look on his face.

“Uh, the winners are Liam and Zayn?” he said.

Some people in the crowd started cheering and clapping their hands. Ruth just let out a laugh and tried to cover it while Liam and Zayn turned to each other.

“Ummm.”

“We’re not a couple.” Zayn said.

“Yeah, uh, we literally met tonight.” Liam added.

Louis gave an awkward laugh and turned back to the paper. “I’m just gonna move on. The final category was best group costume...”

Zayn tapped Liam on the shoulder. “Wanna go back to the kitchen?”

“Yeah, good idea.” Liam glanced at Ruth who was raising her eyebrows and clearly wanted to know more.

“Later” he mouthed, turning his gaze back to Zayn and following him into the other room.

“So that was something.”

“Yeah, I mean….we only just met a couple hours ago and people thought we were dating!” Zayn said.

Liam laughed, mind racing.

“So, uh. What are your plans for the rest of the evening?”

“Um.” Liam checked his watch. It was already 10 pm. He usually stayed till the party ended to help clean up, but today he wasn’t in the mood.

“I guess nothing. Might just head home.”

Zayn nodded.

“I was just thinking… would you wanna hang out more? We could go back to my place and talk.”

“I’d love to!”

Zayn’s face lit up, his eyes crinkling a bit.

“We’d better say bye to Louis before we go. And I’ll have to let my sister know.”

Zayn nodded and they went back into the dining room. They found Louis making his way through the crowd, going between people as per usual.

“Hey, Lou, I’m gonna head out early tonight. You’ll be ok cleaning up?”

“Yeah mate, no worries.” Louis noticed Zayn standing right behind him and perked up.

“Hey, Zayn, since Liam is leaving early, would you mind helping out later?”

Zayn turned around, caught off guard. He was not expecting Louis to ask him that.

“Oh uh. Actually I was gonna go with Liam. We’re both tired and I wanted to show him something.”

Louis smirked.

“Sure, sure. Have fun you two! Not too much fun though,” he said with a wink.

Liam rolled his eyes before walking off to find Roo. He made his way through the crowd of people before stumbling upon her in the corner.

“Hey I’m gonna leave now. Are you gonna crash at the apartment or head back to your place?”

“Ooo where are you off to?”

“I’m going back to Zayn’s.” He said quickly. “So you’ll be ok?”

“Ooh!” she said smugly. “Don’t stay out too late, we'll talk tomorrow.”

“Ok, see you.”

He returned to Zayn who was standing by the door.

“You ready?”

“Yeah, I got us an Uber, it's waiting outside.”

Liam nodded and followed Zayn out the door. He looked back and waved at Louis, noticing a big smile on his face. He shook his head and turned away.

* * *

Zayn

“So when’s the exhibition opening?” Zayn asked, sliding into the Uber.

“November 13! So less than two weeks away.”

“Wow, you must be excited.”

“Yeah. I’m a little stressed since it’s my first one but... I’m looking forward to it.”

Zayn nodded and they arrived at his place shortly after, making their way upstairs.

“You can leave your shoes by the door,” Zayn said as he slid his off.

Liam followed suit and stepped further into the room, looking around at the decorations. Pictures of Zayn’s family were situated on every table. There were album covers on the wall and a brown leather sofa with plush cushions. A framed photo from his most recent trip to Pakistan sat above the fireplace and potted plants hung in the corner. He hoped Liam liked it.

Zayn walked over to the sofa and waved Liam over. They sat close to one another, their knees centimeters apart.

“I love your place, it’s really cozy.” Liam said.

“Thank you!” Zayn smiled, tucking a blanket over his knees. “Are you cold?”

Liam nodded and Zayn handed him one from the pile.

“The heat in this building is never enough.”

Liam made himself comfortable, drawing the blanket around his shoulders.

“Tonight was fun. I’m really glad we met.”

“Me too,” Liam said, “You’re really great.”

Zayn’s smile widened. “Thanks, you too.”

Liam continued to look around the room and take everything in. “I love all the photos of your family. Are you close?”

“Yeah! They’re the best. They really get me and they’re super proud of what I do.”

“I’m so glad! I mean, they should be. You’re amazing and deserve it.” He gave a reassuring smile that made Zayn’s heart flutter.

“You’re the sweetest, Leeyum.”

Liam turned to the wall behind them. “And these album covers are sick. I love Justin Timberlake.”

“Isn’t he the best?”

“You smashed it with decorating. I only wish my apartment looked like this.”

“I’m down to help. Just let me know and I’m there!”

Liam giggled again and looked away. Zayn loved his laugh; it was so loud and full of joy. His head tilted back and his eyes crinkled. He was the sun.

Zayn talked a little about the color palette he chose and how he coordinated the furniture to match it. He appreciated how interested and engaged Liam seemed; it made his heart soar. Eventually though he noticed Liam became a bit distracted, his eyes wandering elsewhere.

“Is everything ok? I don’t mean to pry but it looks like something’s bothering you.”

“Oh sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

Zayn nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. He wanted Liam to feel safe.

“If you wanted to talk about it,” Zayn suggested.

“It’s nothing…”

Zayn could tell he was holding back. He carefully moved his hand towards Liam’s knee and rested it there, hoping that was ok. Liam looked up and smiled gratefully.

“I was really hoping to win the best costume tonight. Individual, that is. Not to say that winning with you wasn’t great, but…”

“No I understand. Sorry about that.”

“Thanks.”

A silence fell between them. Zayn didn’t want to push; he knew Liam would say something else if he wanted to.

“The thing is...so Halloween’s always kind of been a big deal for me. I don’t know what it is but being able to dress up and be someone else for a day… I guess it was a way for me to channel my creativity. But no one around me felt the same. I mean, my family would put up decorations here and there and maybe a witch hat or something but no one really loved it like I did. Same with my friends growing up. I mean in primary everyone was pretty committed, but as we got older they stopped. It made me feel like I should stop too, even though I didn’t want to. It wasn’t until uni when I met Louis that I realized other people still cared and liked dressing up. Anyway, it’s just...something that means a lot to me. I put a lot of thought into my costumes and it’s frustrating to not have that be recognized. And I guess… sometimes I’ll start spiraling and I wonder if this whole artist thing is even worth it. Like is my work too personal or even that good? I don’t know…”

Zayn stared at Liam, not sure what to say. He squeezed his knee, hoping that would count for something.

“Yeah I mean...I get that. It must be really tough having your work and attention to detail not be appreciated. And I can see how that might make you feel like the other areas in life where you apply those skills aren’t worthwhile either. But from what I saw, your work is brilliant. And it’s meaningful. I was super impressed and it made me happy. You’re great Leeyum, really.”

“Thanks Zayn. That means a lot.” Liam looked down and smiled.

“Regarding the costumes though it’s more of a recent thing. I had a winning streak for a while but last year I lost to someone in a Darth Vader costume and then this year..”

Zayn nodded, immediately looking away so his eyes didn’t meet Liam’s. _Fuck!_

“Now I feel like I’ve said something offensive. You alright?” Liam asked.

“Um...if I tell you something, promise you won’t get mad?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Ok. I was the one dressed as Darth Vader last year.”

Zayn looked at Liam, trying to decipher his expression.

“I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to the series, so...” Zayn said, trying to explain himself.

Liam didn’t respond.

“If I’d known you and how much Halloween meant I’d never have tried to win.” _Never tried to win? As if you had any control over that._

“I— First of all I’m not mad. I’m just….wow. This is wild. What are the chances you were the one who beat me?”

Zayn relaxed, relieved to know Liam wasn’t annoyed with him.

“I mean well done mate, the costume was fantastic. A real lightsaber and voice changer? You really hit all the marks.”

Zayn chuckled.

“Thanks Leeyum. I’m just glad you’re not upset with me.”

“No, yeah, of course. I mean if it was someone else I might be but...since it was you…”

Zayn felt heat rising in his chest.

“We should do matching costumes again next year. Considering we won and all.”

“Definitely.” _Did this mean he and Liam would know each other a year from now?_ That was all he could think about.

He looked down, realizing his hand was still on Liam’s knee. Neither one seemed to mind.

“Hey um…can I show you something?”

“Yeah, of course.”

Zayn breathed in, his heart starting to beat quickly again. He got up and made his way over to his piano.

“What you were saying reminded me of a song I’m writing. I was thinking I could play you some of it?”

Liam smiled, face open.

“I’d love to hear it!”

Zayn nodded and sat down, resting his hands on the keys. He took a deep breath and started playing.

_It goes and it's golden like sands of time  
I hope and I hope you'll still be fine  
I know that it's bright, look through the light and see, it's meant to be  
I know that it's bright, look through the light and see, it's meant to be  
Every single jigsaw piece seems to be incomplete_

_The choices we make change the path that we take_  
_But I know that somewhere out there there's a path that we chose_  
_There's a life that we share, there's a love and it grows..._

Zayn looked up at Liam.

“That’s all I have so far. But um, what you were saying before...about not knowing if you should be an artist. I want you to know that you’re going to be alright. Your art is amazing and you should be pursuing it if that’s what you love. And if things change, then things change, but you’ll be fine no matter what.”

Liam opened his mouth, not knowing where to begin.

“Zayn I...thank you. Really, thank you.”

His eyes were so full of affection, Zayn could feel it. He smiled at him and made his way back to the sofa, sitting close enough that their knees were pressed together.

They sat in silence, not needing to speak, until the moment was broken by Zayn’s phone buzzing.

“Oh sorry, I have to take this.”

“No problem.”

“Hey Julie, what’s up?”

Zayn stayed on the line for a few minutes, nodding along.

“Ok alright sounds good. See you tomorrow!” He hung up and put his phone down.

“Sorry ‘bout that. It was one of my co-writers calling about tomorrow’s meeting.”

“No problem, what are you working on?”

“We’re writing a song for Louis’ new album. She was just asking to reschedule to the morning. Guess I’ll have to be up bright and early….”

“Oh shit, I should go. It’s nearly midnight.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean—” _Crap!_

“You could stay longer, I'm used to going to bed late.”

“Nah, it’s alright. You should sleep. I’m getting a bit tired anyway.”

He turned and looked into Zayn’s eyes. “I had a lot of fun tonight, yeah? I’d really like to meet up again if you like.”

“That’d be brilliant. I’ll text you! Since I have your number and all.” He was feeling giddy already.

Liam nodded and they stood up and walked to the door.

Zayn noticed Liam’s cowboy hat sitting on the table and picked it up, turning around to place it on his head.

“It, uh, suits you,” he said with a grin.

Liam grinned back. “Thanks.”

He slipped his shoes on and checked his pockets.

“You got everything?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks again for tonight, I had a really good time.”

“No problem, I’m really glad you came.” Zayn felt happier than ever.

They stood looking at each other, not wanting to say goodbye.

Liam moved a little closer and reached out for Zayn’s fingers, swinging them back and forth.

“So we’ll see each other soon? I’d really like to take you out on a date.”

Zayn nodded, smiling widely.

Liam smiled back, reaching up with his other hand to caress Zayn’s cheek. He leaned in and kissed him, causing Zayn to giggle. Zayn ran his hand through Liam’s hair, making Liam’s smile turn into a laugh. Liam pulled him closer, wrapping his arm around Zayn’s waist and holding him tight. He didn’t want to be any further.

They stayed there for a while, bodies inches apart, before Liam slowly pulled away.

“I’ll see you soon then.”

“Yeah, you will.”

“Bye Zayn.”

“Bye Leeyum. Have a safe trip home!”

Liam walked away, leaving Zayn in his apartment with their kiss lingering on his lips. He closed the door and rested against it, mind replaying the moment over and over. He’d never had a Halloween like it.


End file.
